Middle East war drives up gas and electricity prices; rooftop solar orders surge in Europe.
The Middle East conflict has triggered a new round of oil and gas supply crises, causing European energy prices to soar sharply, and the rooftop solar market has consequently experienced explosive growth.
According to a Reuters report on Friday, several equipment wholesalers and renewable energy companies in Northwest Europe stated that as natural gas and electricity prices continue to surge, demand for residential and commercial rooftop solar systems jumped significantly in March, with growth accelerating further in April.
Several industry executives revealed that since the outbreak of the Middle East war on February 28, demand for rooftop solar in Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK has risen by 30% to 50%.
Research by the industry association SolarPower Europe shows that in the first 17 days following the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, solar power saved the EU about $130 million (or 111.7 million euros) per day on fossil fuel import expenses. Without solar power, the EU's current fossil fuel import bill would be 32% higher than it is now.
Demand surges in Germany, wholesaler sales triple in a single month
Germany is one of the core markets for this wave of rooftop solar demand. Last month, German solar equipment wholesaler Solarhandel24’s sales were more than three times higher than before, and are expected to triple again in April.
German solar solution provider Enpal also recorded strong growth, with March order volumes surging 30% year-on-year, and is expected to grow another 33% in April. These figures show that energy price shocks are rapidly turning into substantial demand for distributed renewable energy among consumers and businesses.
UK rolls out policy package, unlocking millions of rooftop potential
The UK government also announced a series of measures this week aimed at weakening the dominant influence of natural gas prices on electricity prices, with rooftop solar installations included as a key initiative.
UK energy company OVO Energy released an analysis last month pointing out that around 13.7 million households in the UK are eligible to install solar panels, accounting for nearly half of all residential buildings. If all these installations are implemented, they could generate 28.5 terawatt-hours (TWh) of renewable electricity annually—enough to charge the UK’s 1.2 million electric vehicles for nearly a decade.
The core logic behind this surge in demand is that consumers and businesses are increasingly seeing rooftop solar as a practical tool to hedge against energy price fluctuations, rather than purely a green choice. The supply crisis triggered by the Middle East conflict has once again exposed Europe's vulnerability from its dependence on fossil fuel imports.
Data from SolarPower Europe further reinforces this logic—the adoption of solar power in the early stages of the conflict has already saved the EU over $100 million daily in import costs, directly quantifying the buffer effect of distributed clean energy on energy bills.
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